You Must Repent
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People Repent
Luke 13:6-9
Then he used this illustration: “A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came, again and again, to see if he could find any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed. Finally, he told his gardener to cut it down. ‘I’ve waited three years and there hasn’t been a single fig!’ he said. ‘Why bother with it any longer? It’s taking up space we can use for something else.’
“‘Give it one more chance,’ the gardener answered. ‘Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer. If we get figs next year, fine; if not, I’ll cut it down.’”
Fig trees were plentiful in Israel. In this parable, the fig tree also represents the nation of Israel. The fruitless fig tree would be cut down; Israel would be cut off from God’s blessing for refusing God’s Son.
No Fruit
In the Old Testament, a fruitful tree was often used as a symbol of godly living (see, for example, Psalm 1:3 and Jeremiah 17:7-8). Jesus pointed out what would happen to the other kind of tree—the kind that took valuable time and space and still produced nothing for the patient gardener. This was one way Jesus warned his listeners that God would not tolerate forever their lack of productivity. (Luke 3:9 records John the Baptist’s version of the same message.) Have you been enjoying God’s special treatment without giving anything in return? If so, respond to the Gardener’s patient care, and begin to bear the fruit God has created you to produce.
